Warrenville Enters 20-year Agreement For Quarry

The Warrenville City Council has granted a 20-year special-use permit for the planned development of the Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co. quarry property as a high-rise office complex.

The passage of the extended term special-use permit, along with the council`s unanimous approval of a zoning change allowing multi-unit housing in a special development district, came as a surprise earlier this week since both matters were not scheduled for a vote for another two weeks.

Though the timetable for completion of the project by the joint venture of Chicago-based La Salle Partners and Amoco Oil Co. has been an ongoing issue, the focus of attention this week concerned a provision in the special- use agreement holding the developers to a $5 million investment in infrastructure and other public improvements over the first seven years.

Under the agreement, the developer will hold the special-use permit for 20 years providing it meets the provision or takes the option of placing the difference in escrow with the city. If such improvements are not finished within another three years, the city has the option of spending the money on public improvements.

Aldermen Edward Halley and Bryan Aschauer, however, both objected to the $5 million provision, calling the amount ``too low`` considering the developer`s estimates that as much as $60 million could be spent on such improvements as streets, water and sewer lines over the life of the special-use permit.

Halley, who called for a $3 million per year commitment by the developer, said $5 million over the first seven years was unacceptable since no investment would be required until the end of the seventh year.

``They`re asking for a free hand for 20 years,`` Halley said. ``Let`s put our money where our mouth is. Let`s tie something (to the special use) so they have to start doing something (within seven years) to make the project worthwhile.``

La Salle Partners vice president Mary Ann Cronin called the provision

``very realistic`` and ``a fair compromise`` for the city, in light of current economic conditions.

And Ald. Maury Goodman, while admitting that $5 million certainly would not cover needed improvements, said the city could get more specific when approving the master plan and related tax increment financing bonds.

But Aschauer called the provision ``a futile gesture`` and unsuccessfully tried to convince fellow aldermen to delete the provision from the agreement. A master plan will be developed for the quarry project over the next 45 days, Cronin said. Implementation of that will take up to 18 months.

The quarry, considered Warrenville`s only link to the kind of development that has occurred along the East-West Tollway corridor in recent years, straddles both sides of the highway between Mill Street and the west branch of the Du Page River.

The council endorsed a plan Jan. 7 allowing for structures as high as 225 feet in the center of the property, with a small amount of retail and multifamily housing on the quarry`s northwest side.